Cabbage Paratha

Parathas, stuffed or otherwise have always been my favorite. They are the easiest way of sneaking in vegetables into our kids meals. I often find myself preparing these kinds of veggie infused parathas for my daughter’s lunch box. She does not require any side dish for this and usually has it with some ketchup. So while I was browsing through Sangee’s space, Spicy Treats, known for her innovative recipes, for this week’s blog hop, I found the recipe for these yummy Cabbage Parathas. I usually grind the cabbage, while making these, but this time I followed Sangee’s method and all of us enjoyed the slight crunch of the shredded cabbage and onions in between the bites. You can find the original recipe here.

Makes 8 to 10 parathas

What you’ll need

1. Wheat Flour – 2 cups + more for dusting
2. Finely Shredded Cabbage – ½ cup
3. Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
4. Coriander Leaves – a small bunch
5. Green Chilly – 1
6. Ginger – a small piece
7. Carom seeds/Ajwain – ½ tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil – 1 tbsp
10. Water for kneading

Method

1. Grind together coriander leaves, green chilly and ginger into a fine paste without adding any water.
2. In a wide bowl, Add wheat flour, carom seeds, salt and oil. Mix it well with your hands, so that the oil gets merged well in the flour.
3. Now add the Coriander chilly paste, shredded cabbage and onion. Mix well.
4. Now add water little by little and knead into stiff dough. Rest the dough for about 10 minutes.
5. Pinch out a lemon sized ball of dough, roll it on some dry flour, flatten and roll out into chapattis, dusting on dry flour as and when required.
6. Heat a tava, place the prepared chapatti on the hot tava and cook on medium flame. Apply a tsp of oil, flip it over and add another tsp of oil and spread it. Cook till brown spots appear.
Enjoy these hot parathas with a raita or curry of your choice.

Note:

Do not add too much water while kneading, since the cabbage and onions will give out water and loosen the dough upon resting.

Linking this to Blog Hop Wednesday and to Healthy Lunch Ideas hosted by Kavi

Carrot Halwa | Gajar Ka Halwa

Here we are on the last day of the blogging marathon. I have been blogging under the theme “Winter Specials”. It was another fun experience. Thought of finishing off the marathon with a sweet note. So here is a classic winter special recipe: Gajar Ka Halwa.
This is a dish which my mom used to make every winter, especially when the Delhi Carrots start arriving in the markets. I too am following her footsteps and make this dish almost 3 to 4 times during these winter months. There are many variations to this simple recipe. Some people use the pressure cooker to cook the carrots, some make use of condensed milk for sweetening and a few others add khoya/khoa to give that extra richness. Here is my way of making this classic Indian dessert:

Makes 5 to 6 servings

What you’ll need

1. Grated Carrots – 5 Cups
2. Milk – 3 Cups
3. Sugar – 1 Cup to 1 ¼ cup
4. Cardamom – 4 to 5 crushed and powdered
5. Cashew Nuts – 6 to 7 broken
6. Raisins – 10 to 12
7. Ghee/Clarified Butter – 3 to 4 tbsp

Method

1. Heat a Kadai with 2 tbsp of ghee.
2. Add the grated carrots and sauté for a few minutes, on medium flame.
3. Now add the milk and allow to cook on medium flame, stirring once in a while till all the milk evaporates.
4. Keep stirring continuously once the milk has almost reduced else the carrots may stick to the bottom and burn.
5. Now add sugar and mix well. The carrot milk mixture will become liquid again.
6. Keep stirring continuously till the mixture starts thickening, add another tbsp of ghee and mix well.
7. Once the mixture is dry and starts leaving the sides, remove from flame.
8. Heat a small frying pan with a tbsp of ghee, fry cashews and raisins and add to the halwa.

That’s it tasty and yummy Gajar Ka Halwa is ready.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Linking this to the Winter Carnival happening at Tickling Palates.

Gobi Manchurian

Here is yet another family favorite. This is one dish that I would’ve decided to order in the restaurant, even before leaving home. But when it comes to making this at home, I make it only once in a year, and that would be sometime during the winter months, when fresh white and dense gobis are available.

There is a small incident which comes to my mind whenever I make or have Manchurian. It was the time we were living in Bangalore, and had just moved to a new apartment. My SIL and her daughter who was just 10 months old had come over and since we had just shifted, the house was a big mess and the kitchen totally unsettled. So we decided to have lunch outside and as was the norm I ordered for Gobi Manchurian. My niece started getting restless; she wanted everything in her hands, from the glasses to the plates and spoons. Just to pacify her, my SIL gave her a small piece from the Manchurian, cos that was the only item that had arrived. The moment she finishes that piece, she asked for one more and then one more and ate almost 5 to 6 pieces of the 10 or 12 pieces. We were all so surprised as it was quite spicy and we had to literally stop her from eating.

This same girl when she was about 2 and ½ years old, came home one day and asked what’s cooking for breakfast. I said idly. So she said ok, I will have some then I asked if she would like to have some sugar or chutney with it. I was stunned by her answer, she asked if she could have either Aavakkaya or Molagapodi!! Now she is 8 years old and her taste buds have not changed one bit!

Now let me get to the recipe:

What you’ll need

1. Cauliflower/Gobi – 1 Medium
2. Oil for deep frying

For the batter:

1. Maida/All Purpose Flour – 4 tbsp
2. Cornflour – 4 tbsp
3. Rice flour – 2 tbsp
4. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
5. Salt to taste

For the sauce

1. Garlic – 1 or 2 cloves
2. Ginger – 1 small piece
3. Green Chilly – 1 finely chopped
4. Spring onions – 4 to 5 heads
5. Capsicum – 1 small (optional)
6. Tomato Sauce – 1 tbsp
7. Soya Sauce – 2 tsps
8. Chilli Sauce – 1 tsp
9. Cornflour – 1 tbsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

1. Separate the cauliflower into bite sized florets.
2. Put them in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

For the Manchurian

1. In a wide bowl, add the Maida, Cornflour, and rice flour and mix well.
2. Add salt and pepper powder and mix well.
3. Now add water and make into a batter of dropping consistency.
4. Heat oil for deep frying.
5. Drop the cauliflower florets into the batter and spoon them into the hot oil one by one. You can fry about 5 to 6 in a batch.
6. Cook on medium flame, till the outer batter is cooked and turns crispy. Drain on to a tissue and keep aside.

For the sauce:

1. Heat a Kadai with oil, add the green chillies, ginger and garlic and fry for a minute. Next add the spring onion whites and sauté.
2. Next add the chopped capsicum and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame.
3. Now add the tomato sauce, soya sauce, chilli sauce and salt sauté well.
4. Dissolve the cornflour in ½ a cup of water and add it. Stir well, till you get a semi solid, shiny consistency.
5. Now add the fried cauliflower florets and mix well.
6. Finally garnish with the spring onion greens.

Yummy Gobi Manchurian is ready!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Linking this to PJ’s Event Herbs and Flowers – Spring Onions hosted by me.

Also to Winter Carnival happening at Tickling Palates.

And to Flavors of China hosted by Kalyani started by Nayna.

Mooli Paratha

Mooli parathas are another of my favorite ones, after paneer and moong dal. Though moolis or radishes are available throughout the year in most places, but in winters you see loads and loads of fresh, white and tender moolis. The most common use of mooli in my household is in Sambar, hubby’s favorite. While I’m writing this post, mullangi sambar is simmering on the stove top . The other popular dish is mooli paratha. My daughter loves it and asks me to make for her lunch box whenever she sees that I have purchased mooli.

So today’s recipe is going to be my daughter’s mooli paratha:

Makes about 16 medium sized parathas

What you’ll need

For the stuffing

1. Radish/Mooli/Mullangi – 5 Medium sized
2. Green Chillies – 1 or 2 finely chopped
3. Chilly Powder – ½ tsp
4. Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
5. Garam Masala Powder – ½ tsp
6. Fresh Coriander Leaves – ½ bunch, finely chopped
7. Turmeric Powder – a pinch
8. Salt to taste
9. Cumin seeds
10. Oil – 2 tsps

For the dough

1. Wheat flour – 4 cups
2. Oil – 1 tbsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Water as required

Method

1. Make the dough as for rotis- make sure that the dough is not too hard nor sticky. It should be very pliable.

For the stuffing

2. Wash, peel and grate mooli in a fine grater. Squeeze out all the excess water from it and keep aside.
3. Heat a kadai with oil, add cumin seeds, once they change color, add finely chopped green chillies and fry.
4. Next add the squeezed mooli, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilly powder and garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring at regular intervals, till you feel there is absolutely no moisture.
5. Finally add the coriander leaves and mix well. Transfer into a bowl and allow to cool completely.

For making the parathas

1. For making the parathas, pinch out a lemon sized ball from the dough, roll out into a small disc. Place a spoonful of filling in the middle and bring the edges together to completely cover the filling. The edges should overlap slightly to seal the masala. Gently flatten the filled ball. Dust with flour and roll out to a flat disc of about 5-6 inches.
2. Heat a tava (griddle). Roast the paratha on medium heat till done on both the sides. Grease the paratha with a little oil while cooking.

Yummy mooli parathas are ready. Serve with raita and pickle of your choice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Also linking to Winter Carnival happening at Tickling Palates.

Methi Malai Matar (Without Malai)

With the onset of winter, markets are flooding with my favorite greens, Methi leaves or Fenugreek. I simply love the flavor and aroma that it imparts. These can be used to make theplas, pooris, curries etc.

Methi malai matar, is a rich, creamy and yummy accompaniment to rotis, parathas or naans. Tried this recipe for the first time during my college days in a restaurant and I was bowled over by its taste and especially the flavorful aroma. Since then I used to order it almost everytime I visited a restaurant. Then after marriage, I once saw this packet, with the label Methi Malai Matar and it immediately caught my attention. On going through the instructions at the back, came to know that this yummy curry could be made easily at home, by just adding chopped fenugreek and boiled fresh green peas to the contents of the packet. So immediately bought and made it the same day. But alas! the taste wasn’t anywhere near what I expected. So there went my attempt to have my favorite curry at home 

A few days later, I saw the recipe on a cookery show in T.V noted it down and made it with a few changes. The curry turned out to be a super hit. Since this curry is loaded with the richness of cream, I wanted to make it in such a way that it is tasty yet a little lower in calories and came upon this particular recipe which does not use cream at all. So here comes the recipe:

Serves: 4

What you’ll need

1. Fenugreek leaves – 3 to 4 cups
2. Fresh or Frozen Green Peas – 1 Cup
3. Onion – 3 Medium, finely chopped
4. Green Chilly – 1 or 2 slit
5. Garlic – 1 clove, finely chopped
6. Ginger – a small piece, grated
7. Cashew nuts – a fistful, (about 20 whole)
8. Milk – 2 cups
9. Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
10. Oil – 1 tbsp
11. Butter – 1 tsp
12. Coriander powder – 1 tsp
13. Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
14. Garam Masala Powder – ½ tsp
15. Sugar a pinch
16. Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak the cashew nuts in hot water for about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from water, pulse it for a minute so that the cashew nuts are powdered well. Now add about ¼th cup of milk and grind it into a smooth paste.
2. Boil the green peas in water and keep aside.
3. Wash the methi leaves well, and roughly chop it.
4. Heat a Kadai with oil and butter, add cumin seeds.
5. Now add chopped onions, fry till translucent. Next add in the finely chopped garlic, grated ginger and slit green chillies. Saute till the raw flavor disappears or till the onions start browning.
6. Now add the chopped fenugreek leaves and sauté till the leaves wilt, for about 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Next add the boiled peas, pepper powder, coriander powder and sauté for about 30 secs.
8. Pour in the ground cashew paste and stir well. Add salt to taste. Also add the remaining milk, sugar and garam masala. Let this simmer for a few minutes. Keep stirring once in a while else the gravy may burn.
9. Adjust consistency by adding little water or milk if required.

That’s it creamy and yummy curry is ready. Serve it with some hot rotis or parathas.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Also linking this to Winter Carnival at Tickling Palates and Only Curries hosted by Kamalika.

Tomato Lemon Rasam

Today’s recipe, Rasam is a popular south Indian dish. It is a must during any feast and is generally served as the second course with rice. Most of my North Indian friends, I have seen love to drink this in a glass or bowl like a soup. There are many different kinds of rasam the popular ones being Tomato Rasam, Lemon Rasam, Pepper Rasam, Jeera Rasam etc. So, whether you decide to drink a warm glass of this appetizing soup or have it with rice and spicy potato fry with sutta applam the choice is yours, it is just perfect for the wintery months.

I was always very apprehensive about posting a recipe for Rasam. It is indeed quite simple to make but I thought it would definitely benefit people like me.  If rasam was being made, I would generally escape from the kitchen giving some reason or the other. The reason being, though it is very easy to make, still it needs to be made perfectly with the perfect blend of its main ingredients tamarind and other spices. Initially when I used to prepare rasam, it would become either too sour, or it would be very watery or spicy something or the other would go wrong. Now, with lot of trials, I have kind of mastered it.

Before my marriage rasam to me, would mean only say two kinds, tomato rasam and Jeera Rasam. It was only after I got married and saw my MIL make a different one each day, that I realized Rasam could be made in so many different forms each one having its own unique trademark taste. Today’s recipe is one such, which I learnt from her, that she in turn learnt from her MIL. Whenever my MIL prepares this rasam she would always think of her MIL and say that this was her signature dish, now I feel this is my MIL’s signature dish. My younger one simply loves this and she enjoys having this as such in a glass and with everything like, idly, dosa and ofcourse rice!

What you’ll need

1.       Cooked and Mashed Toor dal – 1 tsp

2.       Tomatoes – 3 Medium sized, ripe ones

3.       Green chilly – 1 slit

4.       Ginger – a small piece, crushed

5.       Tamarind – marble sized ball

6.       Chilly powder – ½ tsp

7.       Turmeric Powder – a pinch

8.       Hing – a pinch

9.       Juice of half a lemon

10.   Fresh coriander leaves – few sprigs

11.   Curry Leaves - few

For tempering

1.       Ghee/clarified butter – 1 tsp

2.       Mustard Seeds -  ½ tsp

3.       Jeera/ Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Method

1.       In a bowl, add roughly chopped tomatoes, slit green chilly, crushed ginger and tamarind. Add enough water.

2.       Let this boil till the tomatoes are soft say about 8 to 10 minutes.

3.       Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

4.       Now mash and squeeze the tomato tamarind mixture and remove the peel, green chilly and the tamarind residue.

5.       Pour this liquor in another vessel, add turmeric powder, chilly powder, hing and salt to taste. Add a few torn curry leaves. Allow to boil for few minutes say about 5 to 6 minutes. Always boil rasam on medium flame else it will bubble up and overflow.

6.       Now, mix the mashed dal with about 1 to 1 ½ cups of water and add it to the boiling rasam. After adding this, rasam should not boil, so keep the flame on low heat and switch off once it starts foaming up. (Adjust water according to sourness of rasam, add more if required) Garnish with coriander leaves.

7.       Heat a small frying pan with ghee, season with mustard and jeera and pour it over the rasam.

8.       Add the lemon juice and mix well. Rest the rasam at least for 5 minutes so that the flavours are well blended.

Enjoy this heartwarming and comforting rasam as it is or with rice and papad.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Linking this to the Winter carnival happening at Tickling Palates.

Til Ke Laddoo/Ellu Urundai

Having lived in Chennai for most of my life, I never knew what winter was like. Then one fine day, my father got transferred to a place called Ghaziabad near Delhi. I and my brother were very excited to be going to some city in the Northern part of India. We lived there for around 3 years and it was during this time that I actually came to know how it feels in winters.

I used to always envy my cousins living in Delhi for their winter uniforms: Smart woollen skirts or tunics with belt and tie, Sweaters and the best part blazers. So finally, I got to wear the the blazer. We used to leave home by about 6: 45 am and at that time, it would be quite dark outside, freezing and so much of mist and fog. On certain mornings we just did not feel like getting out of the warmth of our cosy razai. But still I love it rather than the sweltering heat. By around 5 pm it would start getting dark, the days were too short and nights very long. I long for those wintry nights. 

Come winter, and you could see loads and loads of the freshes vegetables like the Red Carrots, Raddishes, Turnips, Cauliflowers, Green Peas, Methi Leaves, Spinach etc. It was a norm in most houses to cook with these seasonal veggies. Dishes like Mooli Ka Paratha, Gobhi Ka Paratha, Gajar Ka Halwar, Makki ki Roti/ Sarson Ka Saag (recipes will follow) are few of the most common recipes that were dished out. My mom learnt a lot of recipes there, which we still continue to make.

Basically, winters are times when one loves to relax, laze around, enjoy a hearty meal and have a good night’s sleep. So this is exactly what I and my brother did when we lived Ghaziabad. 

Til ka Laddoo is a popular sweet in North India, generally made during winters especially for Sankranthi. Til and jaggery are said to keep the body warm from within. During winters, the markets in North India are flooded with different varieties of sweets made out of til like Gajak, revadi, etc. These healthy laddoos can be enjoyed as a dessert or as a healthy snack. So here is a simple recipe to keep you warm this winter:

What you’ll need

1.       White Til/Sesame seeds/Ellu – 1 cup

2.       Powdered Jaggery  - ½ cup

3.       Ghee – to grease

Method

1.       Dry roast the sesame seeds till light brown in color.

2.       Heat a kadai. Add the powdered jaggery and just enough water for the jaggery to dissolve, about ¼ to ½ cup.

3.       Let the jaggery dissolve completely. Strain for impurities and pour it back into the kadai.

4.       Let the jaggery boil on medium flame till soft ball consistency (Thakkali paagu) is reached.

5.       To test the syrup consistency, add a drop of the syrup into a bowl of water. Now gather that drop in the water with your fingers and try to roll into a ball. If you can make the ball then the right consistency has been achieved else let it boil for some more time. Keep checking every 2 to 3 minutes.

6.       Now add the roasted sesame seeds and mix well, until all the sesame seeds are coated with the jaggery syrup.

7.       Remove the above mixture into another plate.

8.       Now, grease your hands with a little ghee and start shaping them into balls.

That’s it, yummy and healthy laddoos are ready.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Also linking it to the Winter Carnival at Tickling Palates.

Carrot Coriander Soup

Before starting this post I want to congratulate Srivalli for the great success of this series: Blogging Marathon. The blogging marathon has reached its 10th edition and I am glad to be part of it once again. It has been quite a while since I took part, the last time was during BM: 5. Though I would love to be part of the marathon every month, but, since I am a full time mom of a really mischievous little girl, I have to restrict myself. I really enjoyed the last edition, and I am looking forward to a wonderful and exciting marathon this time too.

This time around I would be blogging under the theme winter specials, very apt for the season right! So friends, watch out my space for some piping hot, spicy and yummy winter specials.

Today’s recipe is an interesting combination of soup: carrots and coriander. Though I am not a soup person, but I do enjoy a few of them especially during the winters. This recipe has been adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor’s Cookbook. I have made a few changes to the original recipe to suit my needs. It is quite a filling soup and can work for a light meal. Here comes the recipe:

Serves – 2 to 3

What you’ll need

1.       Carrots – 7 to 8 medium sized

2.       Fresh Coriander Leaves – 1 medium bunch

3.       Bay Leaves – 1

4.       Peppercorns – 8 to 10

5.       White Pepper Powder – ½ tsp

6.       Sugar – a pinch

7.       Juice of half a lemon

8.       Salt – to taste

Method

1.       Peel, wash and roughly chop carrots. Clean wash and finely chop coriander leaves. Keep the stems for further use.

2.       Heat a pan, add the chopped carrots, bay leaves and peppercorns and the coriander stems. Also add enough water (about 3 cups of water) and bring to a boil.

3.       Cook till carrots are completely cooked. Let it cool.

4.       Remove the bay leaves and strain the carrots. Reserve stock. Puree the carrots with the coriander stem and pepper corns.

5.       Pour the puree into a pan add enough stock, adjust according to required consistency and boil for a 3 to 5 minutes.

6.       Season with salt and white pepper powder and a pinch of sugar. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves. Finally add a dash of lemon juice.

Enjoy it hot with an accompaniment of your choice.

Note:

You can sauté a medium sized onion and few pods of garlic in a little butter or olive oil before adding the carrots.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#10

Linking this to the Winter Carnival at Radhika's space.

Spicy Vazhakkai Curry

Raw bananas/plantains/vazhakkai/Kaccha Kela is a very versatile veggie. It can be used to make anything ranging from an appetizer, snack, gravies, dry curries etc. We generally use this veggie in molagootal, mulagushyam , mezhukkuperatti, puli kutthi upperi, thoran, kalan, mor Kootan etc.  But my favorite is this spicy curry which I learnt recently. This goes very well with plain rice and rasam and also with curd rice.  So let’s get to recipe without further ado.

Serves: 4

What you’ll need

1.       Raw Banana/Vazhakkai – 4 Medium

2.       Turmeric Powder – a pinch

3.       Salt to taste

Dry roast and grind

1.       Bengal Gram Dal/ Channa Dal – 2 tsps

2.       Urad Dal – 1 tsp

3.       Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp

4.       Red Chillies – 2 or 3

5.       Black Peppercorns – 5 or 6

For Tempering

1.       Coconut Oil/ Refined oil – 2 tbsp

2.       Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

3.       Curry Leaves – few

4.       Hing – a pinch

Method

1.       Wash, peel and chop the raw bananas into small cubes. Keep them immersed in a mixture of water and buttermilk/ curd till further use. Wash again before use.

2.       Heat a kadai, dry roast channa dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, red chillies, and black pepper till good aroma comes out and the dals have turned a nice golden brown. Cool and grind to a fine powder.

3.       Heat the same Kadai, with oil. Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and a pinch of hing/asafetida.

4.       Now add the chopped raw banana cubes, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Stir well. Sprinkle little water, cover and cook in low heat till the vegetable is cooked. Keep stirring in between.

5.       Once vegetable is cooked, remove lid and let it roast for about 5 to 6 minutes on medium flame.

6.       Now add the spice powder and mix well. Remove from flame after a minute or two.

That’s it! Hot and tasty vazhakkai curry is ready. Serve it with some plain rice and rasam for a comforting and fulfilling meal.

Note:  

If you have a steamer, you could steam cook the raw banana pieces until done.

You could also add a little bit of tamarind paste for a slightly tangy taste, but I prefer it without it.

Linking this to Veggie/Fruit of the month - raw bananas hosted by Archana originally started by Priya

Also to Only Curries hosted by Kamalika started by Pari.

And to the Winter Carnival happening at Tickling Palates

And to the Kerala Kitchen hosted by Fajeeda.

My First Event Announcement

Hi Friends!

I am really happy to announce that Palakkad Chamayal will be guest hosting its first ever event - Herbs and Flowers started by PJ. I would like to thank PJ for giving me the opportunity to host this wonderful event. This month’s star ingredient is Spring Onion.

Spring onions, also known as scallions, green onions, salad onions, green shallots etc are milder than onions and can be cooked or eaten raw. Spring Onions have been used as an ingredient in various dishes for thousands of years by many cultures around the world. They are widely used in soups, salads, Chinese noodles, fried rice etc.

Spring onions are a very good source of vitamin C, chromium and dietary fiber. They are also a good source of manganese, molybdenum, vitamin B6, and folate, potassium, phosphorous and copper. It is effective against colds, headaches, chills to the stomach, indigestion, and also for insomnia.   

So friends, please extend your support to this wonderful event by cooking and posting a dish featuring spring onions.

Rules for the event

1.      Cook and blog about a Vegan or Vegetarian dish which features Spring Onion. Though this series is based on the culinary uses, you can also share the following -growing spring onion or tips on freezing or storing them ,non culinary uses that have been tried and tested by you like cosmetic uses, home remedies, crafts etc. You can also write about some interesting facts on Spring onion.

2.      Please add this announcement link, and link to PJ’sannouncement page to your post

3.      Adding the logo to your post will help spread the word.

4.      Send in as many entries as you wish. Archives entries are also accepted but do make a link to the post with both the announcements.

5.      The last date for the entries is December 15th 2011.

6.      Non bloggers are also welcome to participate

7.      Drop a mail to  – kaverivenkatesh@gmail.com with these details

a.       Your name and name of your blog

b.      Recipe and URL:

c.       Picture of your dish {Please re-size your images}

Looking forward to see all your wonderful entries .......

Cheesy Corn Pasta

My daughter loves noodles and pasta. She would love to have it every other day. But I am really not in favor of the instant noodles that are available in the markets. But even then, I have to give in to my daughter’s demands (read - tantrums) many a times.

Though pastas have been available in the Indian markets since a very long time, I was introduced to this only very recently. But I never ventured into making it at home. Then one day, my daughter had this Maggi’s instant pasta and was addicted to it. That’s when I thought it’s high time for me to start experimenting with this ingredient. But the first few times I made, it was a failure, either the pasta would get overcooked or it would be only half cooked or sometimes the sauce would’nt be right. My daughter continued to like the Maggi instant pasta. That’s when I saw this recipe in Priya’s space, with whom I have been paired for this week’s blog hop. I decided to try it out and believe me; my daughter loved it and has asked me to make it again very soon. The pictures are terrible though, but you have to take my word on how delicious it was. I will soon update these pictures with better ones, since I will definitely have to make it again many more times for my daughter. Please find the original recipe here.

What you’ll need

1.       Pasta (any variety) – 2 cups

2.       Sweet corn nibbles – ½ cup or more (boiled)

For the sauce

1.       Garlic – I clove

2.       Butter – 2 tsp

3.       All purpose flour/ Maida – 1 tbsp

4.       Milk - 1 ½ cups

5.       Cheese – 2 small cubes (I used Amul cheese)

6.       Chilli Flakes – ½ tsp

7.       Oregano – a big pinch

8.       Pepper powder – ½ tsp

9.       Salt to taste

Method

1.       Cook the pasta as per the instruction on the packet. Drain and refresh with cold water, drain again and keep aside. Add the boiled sweet corn nibbles to it.

For the sauce

1.       Heat a non stick pan with butter, add crushed garlic and sauté.

2.       Next add maida and sauté for a few minutes or till the raw smell disappears.

3.       Now slowly add the milk while whisking continuously, so that no lumps are formed. Let this cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or till the sauce starts boiling.

4.       Next add in one cube of grated cheese and mix well. Now add the chilli flakes, oregano and pepper powder and salt to taste. Mix well.

5.       Now add the cooked pasta and corn. Mix well without breaking the pasta.

6.       Finally, before serving add another cube of grated cheese.

That’s yummy and delicious pasta is ready to dig in.

See my daughter enjoying her yummy pasta!

Note: Adjust seasoning according to taste.

Linking this to Radhika’s Blog Hop.

Sprouted Moong Kadhi

Kadhi is a popular North Indian gravy generally prepared using chickpea flour and yogurt.  It is served with fried chickpea flour dumplings called pakodas. It is also very common in the western parts of India like Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Gujarthi and Rajasthani kadhi is slightly runny and is on the slightly sweeter side.

Kadhi chawal (rice) is one of the famous combinations. It is something that is enjoyed in the comfort of homes and is generally not available in restaurants. Though few small eateries may serve.

My first taste of this simple comfort food was at my aunt’s house, who lives in Gujarat. So obviously I got to taste the Gujarathi version. I simply loved it and ever since have had it at various other occasions. I always wanted to prepare it myself at home, but never got around making it. Then, with days flying by, and other things and newer recipes taking precedence, kadhi faded out, but was there somewhere at the back of my mind.

The other day, when I was flipping through my favorite Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s cookbook, I found this recipe there and wanted to try it out immediately. The result was a smooth, creamy and yummy gravy; nutritious too, due to the addition of moong sprouts rather than the pakodis. Now let’s check out the recipe.

What you’ll need

1.       Moong Sprouts – 1 cup

2.       Besan/Chickpea flour – ¼ cup

3.       Slightly sour curds – 1 cup

4.       Ginger – 1 Inch piece

5.       Green Chilly – 1 slit

6.       Jaggery – 1 tblsp

7.       Turmeric Powder – a pinch

8.       Salt to taste

For Tempering

1.       Mustard Seeds – ½  tsp

2.       Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

3.       Fenugreek Seeds – ½ tsp

4.       Hing – a pinch

5.       Dried Red chilly – 1 broken

6.       Curry Leaves – few

Method

Cook the Moong sprouts in enough water for about 5 to 8 minutes. Strain and keep aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together, besan with the curds thouroghly without forming any lumps. To this add 2 cups of water and mix well. Add finely chopped ginger, slit green chilly and jaggery into this. Also add a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste. Mix well.

Heat a Kadai, and pour this mixutre into it and cook on medium flame, stirring continuously, till mixture thickens.

Now add the cooked moong and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Heat oil in a small frying pan, add, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and hing. When seeds begin to change color add the broken red chilly. Add this to the kadhi.

Sever hot with white rice or roti.

Linking this to CWS - Moong Beans hosted by Priya.


Awards Time

Sobha of Good Food has passed on this award. Thank you Sobha, you make me feel honored.

'Liebster' means favourite  or dearest in German. Rules for accepting the award :
- Thank the person who gave the award and link back to their blog.
- Copy and paste the award to your blog.
- Reveal the 5 blogs you have chosen to award and let them know by commenting on their blog.
- Hope they pass it forward by accepting and awarding it to bloggers they would like to honour.

I would like to pass it to few of my blogger friends:

Faseela - Good Food Ends with Good Talk
Suja - Kitchen Corner - Try it
Puspa - Taste as you Cook
Sangee Vijay - Spicy Treats
Vidhya - Sugar N Spice

Carrot Kheer / Carrot Payasam

There was time when the word payasam meant Paal Payasam, Nei Payasam or Semiya Payasam. One would’ve never imagined preparing a payasam out of carrots, bottle gourd, apples etc. At such a time, there was this person (who is no more now) whom I look up to. She was my mother’s Athai (Aunt), who lived in Mumbai. She was an expert cook, who at the age of 70 had the passion to learn and try out new things.

I remember a dinner she had hosted on behalf of my grandfather, for a newly married couple. I was one of the lucky ones who got to taste all the goodies that she had prepared. The menu consisted of a soup, Masala Dosa with 3 varieties of Chutenys, Vada, Vegetable pulao and this classic Carrot Kheer.

That was the first time (I was about 15 yrs old) I tasted a payasam other than the 3 mentioned above. I really fell for it. I asked my mom to immediately make note of the recipe and to this date we, me and my mom follow the same recipe.

What you’ll need

1.       Milk – 2.5 cups

2.       Carrots – 3

3.       Sugar – ½ cup

4.       Cashew nuts – 4 + few more

5.       Raisins – few

6.       Cardamom Powder – a pinch

7.       Ghee – 1 tsp

Method

1.       Soak about 4 whole cashew nuts in hot water.

2.       Wash, peel and slice carrots into thin slices. Pressure cook these carrot slices with ½ cup of milk.

3.       Once the pressure releases, grind the carrots with the cashew nuts into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

4.       Boil the milk in a heavy bottom vessel, keep stirring in between so that the milk does not overflow. Let the milk boil in low flame for about 10 minutes or till it is reduced a little.

5.       Now add the carrot paste to the milk and stir well. Let this simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes. Keep stirring in between.

6.       Now add the sugar and stir well. Simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes.

7.       Remove from heat.

8.       In a small frying pan, heat ghee, fry the cashewnuts and raisins and add it to the payasam. Also add the cardamom powder and mix well.

Yummy carrot kheer is ready. Serve it hot or cold.

Linking this to the Winter Carnival happening at Tickling Palates.